Lights Out
by LovingPillow
Summary: What if Hermione hadn't been petrified in her second year? And it's all because of Cedric Diggory. Assured terrible fluff, raised brows, and confused expressions.


**Title:** Lights Out  
**Summary:** What if Hermione hadn't been petrified in her second year? And it's all because of Cedric Diggory. Assured terrible fluff, raised brows, and confused expressions.

* * *

"Stop stalking me."

There was a gasp. "I wouldn't call this stalking, Granger. I'm merely following you to the library." He said as if he had all the right to walk beside her; he had come out of nowhere when she was walking towards the library. How he could even stay at the same pace she was walking at was a mystery. Well, he is part of the Hufflepuff's quidditch team, which must explain why he could easily keep pace with her pace. But why was he going to the library of all reasons? Honestly, she doubted that he was going to look up books which she had an inkling that had her answers.

"Fine then Diggory, stop _following_ me."

Hermione wasn't pleased when she made to walk the longer path to the library. Surely, he could have gone the much shorter path. "Is there any reason you are following me down this path?" She asked under her breath as she quickly increased her pace. She hoped that the book she was looking for had the answers she needed. "I am positive that you could have taken the shorter path to the library." Her hair was billowing past her as she turned a sharp corner and nearly walked into Penelope Clearwater, who had been looking through her mirror. With a sharp _watch it_, Penelope left Hermione and Cedric alone as they continued walking towards the library.

"I heard that Potter was targeting muggleborns, and seeing as you are a muggleborn, I decided it was my cue to protect you." Cedric said as he pulled Hermione back a step before she could bump into several snakes. Once he let go of her, she spun around and glared at him with all her heart. He immediately noted that she was angry with him, but what for. He didn't say anything wrong, did h-_oh,_ Cedric realized, _so the rumours were untrue,_ he sighed in relief as he derived a conclusion from her actions. Just as she was about to blow up at his chest, she barely reached his neck, he gave her an apologetic grin. "You're Potter's friend, you obviously know the truth. Forgive me for believing the rumours, I promise to question everything before jumping to conclusions from now on." He said and watched as she eyed him with caution before giving him the approval that she trusted him. For reasons only he would know, he was ecstatic about her trusting him. It just meant that he would be on her good side for the meantime. "Now that you know, you'll leave me alone?" Hermione coughed to hide her hopeful tone, but Cedric caught it nonetheless. He chuckled, "Not a chance, Granger. Who knows what would happen to you if I left you out of my sights for a few moments." He was teasing her when she nearly bumped into, yet again, Penelope Clearwater. The girl brushed Hermione off with a glare and went back to fixing her makeup. "Besides, I could help you with what you're researching, can't I? You're obviously helping Potter with whatever is going on at the moment." Hermione thought that it was best she not speak in case of saying something which could give him more excuses to stalk (follow, she corrected herself mildly) him to the library.

When they reached the library, Hermione made her way to the section on beasts. _Most Macabre Monstrosities_ was the book she was looking for. She vividly recalled something related to whatever was going on, on page 724. "Not here...definitely not this one...aha! It's here!" Hermione exclaimed but she lowered her voice when she caught Cedric staring at her with amusement circling his grey eyes. "**Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents. This snake, which may reach gigantic size and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it.**" Hermione read aloud, though quietly, just loud enough for Cedric to listen in on. She was relaying the information back to him in case she couldn't reach Harry or Ron fast enough. She just hoped that he understood why she read it aloud, else they'll be doomed and Harry could die. _No, Harry won't die. I'll make sure of it._ With this thought in mind, Hermione closed the book and quickly headed out the library, but Cedric pulled her back into the library and shushed her before she could question his motives.

"Why were you looking up a Basilisk?"

_Of all the_-Hermione gave a sigh and she filled Cedric in on her suspicions. "It's said that the Basilisk has a murderous stare, right? They'll suffer instant death if they look into its eye. So why hadn't Colin Creevey and Justin Finch-Fletchley suffer death? The reason is that Creevey had his camera with him when he looked at the Basilisk through the lens. Fletchley was with Nearly Headless Nick when the Basilisk sought them. Knowing that a ghost cannot die twice, he only became stone. As for Fletchley's situation, he had seen the Basilisk through Nearly Headless Nick's body, and as the body of a ghost is translucent, it meant that he hadn't had direct eye contact with the Basilisk." Hermione explained all this in a hurry before she reopened the doors, only to be stopped when Cedric pulled her back by the arm, and then forcefully shut it closed. _Why are you stopping me once again?_ Hermione growled in her thoughts before she faced Cedric once more. "How would the Basilisk travel, since it's a large serpent?" Cedric asked her and Hermione recalled how Harry had harshly whispered for them to be quiet since he kept hearing a voice call out to him. Hermione was at a loss until she recalled asking Moaning Myrtle about the attack on Mrs. Norris.

**"****_We wanted to ask you if you've seen anything funny lately. Because a cat was attacked right outside your front door on Halloween._****"**_ Hermione asked when Myrtle stared at her with disappointment, as if she didn't want to see the second-year again._

**_"Did you see anyone near here that night?"_**_ Harry had asked immediately afterwards._

_Myrtle was blatant when she looked happy about someone other than Hermione talking to her, __**"I wasn't paying attention. Peeves upset me so much I came in here and tried to **_**kill****_ myself. Then, of course, I remembered that I'm—that I'm—"_**

**_"Already dead._****"**_ Ron cut in and they left when Myrtle wouldn't answer any more of their questions._

Hermione was shaken out of her thoughts when Cedric called her name (well, last name but it still counts). "Mrs. Norris was petrified outside the first floor girl's bathroom, so I assume that the Basilisk was nearby. But how can he have access when he can't slither across Hogwarts seeing as his body is gigantic and _oh! _Of course, the bathroom pipes! He probably had access to the plumbing." She was rambling to herself as Cedric watched with amusement running through his eyes. When she rid herself of her thoughts, she made to open the library doors (again) when Harry and Ron both entered, looking horrified for all they knew. "Ginny opened the Chamber of Secrets." Ron exclaimed for the four of them to hear, and when he realized whom Hermione was with, he glared at said Hufflepuff. "The Basilisk is the cause for the petrification." Hermione exclaimed and she hugged Harry as soon as he smiled at her. Cedric ignored the jealousy building up and offered his assistance to save Ginny. When the four students (plus one professor) made their way into Myrtle's bathroom, Cedric held onto Hermione's hand before they jumped into the gigantic hole leading to the Chamber of Secrets. Several things happened, including the event where Lockhart lost his memories, leaving Cedric to wonder why he had gone to help the Golden Trio when he had done nothing. Well, he had done something, which was holding Hermione in his arms and shielding her eyes when she couldn't bear to watch Harry get himself killed (even if he had gotten them out safely, with Ginny in hold and a sword in his hand alongside the Sorting Hat). Either way, Cedric felt useless.

"Thank you."

Cedric looked down to see Hermione smiling at him. He was inwardly questioning what he had done to deserve her thanks, but brushed it aside when she explained to him about Clearwater being petrified at the time Hermione wanted to leave the library.

He was grinning as he walked her back to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"See you another time, Cedric."

She then left him blatantly touching his cheek, with a clear sign that he was blushing. "See you another time, Hermione..." Cedric whispered and smiled widely to himself as he walked back to the Hufflepuff Common Room. She had kissed him, him of all people, on the cheek! He whooped in joy but toned it down when the paintings were staring at him as if he were crazy.

Who cares about paintings when you can replay the scene where the girl you love kissed your cheek in parting?

Definitely not Cedric Diggory.

And hey, she even called him by his name (first name, to be more exact) and smiled bashfully at him!

Cedric slept with the widest love struck grin he ever had since he was born.

And that was saying something.


End file.
